Shingle



July 17, 1934. J CQOLIDGE I 1,966,438

S'HINGLE Filed Jan. 14. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

I I 1 14mm EY.

July 17, 1934. J. R; COOLIDGE 1,966,438

SHINGLE Filed Jan. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Shet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Patented July 17, 1934 [U STATES.

. SHINGLE: H v 7 Joseph R. Coolidge, Brookline, Mass, assignor toMontan, Inc., Boston; Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationhJanuary 14, 1931, Serial No. 503,599 17 Claims. (cl. 10s--s) This invention relates to shingles, clapboards, and the like. 7

"The use of wood shingles on roofs is quite generally prohibited in the larger cities due to the fire hazard which their use involves. At the same this type of roofing is preferred by architects for some styles of buildings, and would be used very generally by others if such use were permissible. This condition has been recognized heretofore, and many attempts have been made to treat wood shingles in'such a manner as to give them the desired degree of fire resistance; Whileit is not particularly diflicult to accomplish this object, the practical difficulty is that the common .fireproofing substances whichcan be used within reasonable price limits are all soluble to some degree in water, and after such shingles have been exposed on the roof of a building for a relatively short time, a sufficient quantity of the fireproofing agents'are Washed out by rains to reduce the fire resistance of the shingle to such a point that it is no longer safe. It may here be pointed out that the authorities do not demand that a wood shingle shall be absolutely fireproof, but they do require a degree of resistance of fire comparable to that of the common forms of so-called composition or asphalt shingles.

The present invention aims to devise a wood shingle which will meet these requirements while still' being economical to manufacture and preserving the attractive appearance of thistype of roofing. It is contemplated that the invention can also be'used to advantage-in .clapboards.

The nature of the invention will be readily I understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a perspective View of a portion of a roof and the adjacent part of a building illustrating shingles and clapboards constructed in accordance-with this invention; and

Figs. 2 to 6 are perspective views showing different constructions of shingles embodying this invention.

Referring first to Fig. 2, a portion of a wood shingle is indicated at 2, This shingle may be of the usual dimensions and may be made of the common woods used for this purpose. The butt portion of this shingle isjslotted or scarfed, as by a saw, to form a slot 3 extending lengthwise through the lower edge of the butt and including side sca'rfs 4-4 which extend up the opposite edges of the butt. These scarfs .lie. parallel to the flat faces of the shingle. Located in the cavities or-slots so formed in the shingle butt is a quantity of fire extinguishing material associated withs ome kind of a protective agent. The fire extinguishing material may be of any suitable character, as for example, the common and well known fireproofing salts such as borax, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulphate, ammonium phosphate, and others. Since all of these salts are readily soluble in water, it is necessary to protect them in the shingle in order to prevent them from being washed out and lost. It is contemplated that this object may be 'accomplished in several ways as, for example, by enclosing them in a protective medium of some suitable nature. It will also be noted that all of these embodiments of the invention require some material structural change in the shingle in order to produce a cavity of substantial dimensions capable vof holding bodies of fire extinguishing material of considerable size so that a very substantial fire extinguishing action will be produced when the occasion arises. Such a construction, therefore, is sharply distinguished from the mere coating of a shingle with a fireproofing paint 'or similar coating compound which more or less fills up the superficial irregularities produced in the surfaces ofrwooden shingles by the ordinary methods of sawing them. Preferably thesalts are sealed in the slots or cavities in the shingle by a waterproof substance such as a wax, pitch, resin or asphalt. For example, a plastic composition may be made by mixing wax, pitch, resin or asphalt, or ,a blend of these materials, with the fireproofing salts above mentioned and inserting this plastic composition in the slots 3 and4. Such a composition is indicated at 5 in Fig. 2. Or the composition may be molded into strips of suitable dimensions and the strips inserted in slots.

Fig.3 shows a'modification in which a slot or saw cut 6 is formed in the butt edge of the shingle 7 to take a strip 8 of fire extinguishing composition such as that shown at 5 in Fig. 2. This construction is particularly adapted also foruse in clapboards, the lower edge of a clapboard being grooved or slotted longitudinally and the plastic'composition being inserted in the slot. Clapboards made in this manner are indicated at 9 in Fig.1, and the plastic composition isshown Another variation of the invention is shown in Fig. 4 in which holes 12 are bored or drilled in the-butt end of the shingle l3 and are filled with plugs 14: of fire extinguishing compositions similar to that shown at 5, 8 and 10.

In view of the fact that shingles and clapboards are subjected while in use to high atmospheric temperatures running up to perhaps 140 or 150 it is important that the waterproofing compound associated with the fireproo-fing salts be of such a nature that it will retain the salts in place at these high atmospheric temperatures but will release them at temperatures which are considerably higher but nevertheless are below the kindling temperature of the wood. Waxes suitable for this purpose are halowax, which itself has fireproofing properties, and Montan wax. The coimnon asphalts tend to flow, or at least to sag, at high temperatures, but asphaltic compositions can readily be made by mixing high melting point asphalts, such as gilsonite, with some of the pitches or low melting point asphalts, or the latter may be mixed with some of the low priced resins, such as the common rosin of commerce, such compositions or blends having both the desired waterproofing properties and also the required temperature characteristics. Thermoplastic compositions of these waterproofing materials with fire extinguishing salts can be extruded while at an elevated temperature and consequently in a plastic condition, the extruded material being of such dimensions as to fit snugly in the slots or cavities in the shingles or clapboards. Such material can be inserted in said cavities while still hot and therefore sufficiently sticky to adhere to the walls of the cavities, or it can be allowed to cool and then handled in a relatively non-tacky condition and heated sufficiently after being inserted in the shingles or clapboards to cause it to stick to the walls of the cavities.

A shingle or clapboard made in this manner presents relatively little, if any, difference in appearance to the casual observer from the ordinary wood shingle or clapboard. It can be handled in the same way, applied in the same manner, and presents the same surfaces to the weather. It will be observed that the slots or cavities are so located that most of the fireproofing material in them is normally protected from the weather by a substantial thickness of wood, only the edges of the cavities being exposed. The cavities are so located and the nature of the composition can readily be made such that painting of the clapboards or shingles will not be interfered with.

When these shingles are in their normal position on a roof and a burning brand drops on it, the heat of the fiarne quicklymelts the protective medium, thus releasing the fire extinguishing salts or other material. The location of such material in cavities opening on to the butt edge of the shingle is of advantage in utilizing the natural currents of air tending to follow up the sloping roof to direct the flames against the sealing medium exposed at the butt edges of the shingles. It also facilitates the flow of the fire extinguishing materials out of the slots and allows them, or the compounds into which they are converted by heat, to fiow down the exposed surfaces of the shingles and across the burning areas. Some of these fireproofing salts are effective because of releasing a substantial quantity of water of crystallization, while others are broken down into fire extinguishing gases, and in still others a combination of the two results is produced. Only a relatively small quantity of such salts as those above mentioned is required to give the necessary degree of fire protection to a shingle or clapboard, a quantity equal to from 10% to 20% of the weight of the shingle or clapboard ordinarily being ample.

It is contemplated that instead of using the fire extinguishing material in the form above described, satisfactory forms of such material may be made by saturating some very porous fabricated body with a solution of fire extinguishing salts and then drying the saturated body. For example, roofing felt or the very porous grades of fibre board or even a sheet of pulp may be loaded heavily with fire extinguishing salts in this manner. Such a body may be cut into strips or formed into pieces suitable for application to the shingles and then fastened thereto or associated therewith in any suitable manner. The shingles afford some protection to the fire extinguishing material and its association with the shingle may readily be made such (as herein described) that quite complete protection is afforded. However, when the shingles are in use on a roof, water will soak through them when they are old unless they are made quite heavy. The rain also will run under the shingles to some extent or be driven under them by the wind. Consequently, it is preferable to protect the fire extinguishing material in some other way from moisture. Such protection may be afforded by dipping the im-- pregnated or loaded pieces in some of the Waxy or asphalt compositions above mentioned, or in any other suitable waterproofing substance.

Another variation of the invention is shown in Fig. 5, the shingle there illustrated having a cavity, pocket or groove 15 formed in the lower side of the butt edge and extending backwardly under the lower margin of the butt for a substantial distance. A strip 16 of material such as those above described which is loaded with fire extinguishing salts, or the like, is located in this cavity and is cemented to the shingle by a waterproof adhesive or is fastened in place in any other convenient manner.

In the constructions shown in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, the butt ends of the shingles have been slotted or broken so that when these shingles are on the roof, close inspection will show that they are not exactly like the ordinary wooden shingles. In any case where this is objectionable the cavity or pocket formed in the shingle to receive the body of fire extinguishing material may be made in the lower surface of the butt, as shown in Fig. 6. Here a groove 17 has been formed entirely across the lower face of the shingle closely adjacent to its butt end and parallel thereto. The body of fire extinguishing material is located in this groove or cavity, as shown at 18. This construction, therefore, produces a shingle which, when placed on a roof, looks like an ordinary wooden shingle.

It should be observed that in all of these constructions the upper surface of the butt portion of the shingle which is to be exposed to the weather is left undisturbed. Also, that the fire extinguishing material is in each case carried by the shingle in a segregated body, as distinguished from being distributed throughout the structure of the shingle, as would be the case if the shingle were impregnated with fire extinguishmg salts.

Asphalt shingles and others of that general type are required chiefly in those districts where good fire fighting organizations are maintained. They are valuable mainly in being difficult to ignite and in giving the fire department more time in which to reach the fire and get the-situation in hand. Shingles such as those above described can be made at an entirely reasonable expense which will afford a degree of protection similar to that of the asphalt shingles. But a much greater measure of protection can also be obtained at a slightly increased expense. At the same time the characteristic and attractive appearance of the wood shingle is preserved.

While most of the fireproofing substances above mentioned specifically are soluble, at least in some degree, in water, the construction above described is also useful when fireproofing substances are used which are insoluble in water. substances may be mentioned certain of the barium salts and particularly magnesium ammonium phosphate. Notwithstanding the insolubility of such substances, it is desirable to hold them definitely in place in the shingle. more, considering the long life of a shingle, it is preferable to protect such fireproofing materials from the weather since almost all substances undergo some degree of deterioration when exposed to the weather for a period of years. The invention, therefore, definitely contemplates the use of insoluble fireproofing materials as well as soluble substances.

In some cases, also, it may be advantageous to locate a small body of some explosive mixture, such as flash powder, or even a small charge of gunpowder, immediately behind the main body of fireproofing material and to lead a small part of this material, or a fuse, to the butt edge of the shingle and to protect it by wax, asphalt, or a similar waterproofing agent having a low fusing point, so that when the fire reaches the edge of the shingle and melts the wax or asphalt, the small explosion which then occurs will forcibly expel the fire extinguishing substances across the surface which is on fire. A fireproofing material of an explosive nature known commercially as Dugas may be used for this purpose, or may be relied upon exclusively or in combination with other materials as the fire extinguishing agent.

As above stated, the invention is applicable both to shingles and olapboards, and the term shingle, therefore, will be used in the appended claims in a generic sense to include both shingles and clapboards.

While I have herein shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

l. A wood shingle having therein a cavity of substantial dimensions and a body of fire extinguishing material held in said cavity.

2. .A wood shingle having therein a cavity of substantial dimensions, a body of fire extinguishing material in said cavity, and a covering cooperating with the walls of said cavity to protect said material from the weather.

3. A wood shingle having therein a cavity of substantial dimensions, a body of fire extinguishing material located in said cavity, and a waterproof medium sealing said material in said cavity.

4. A wood shingle having therein a cavity of Among these Furthersubstantial dimensions and a body of fire extinguishing material held in said cavity by a waterproof binder having a melting point above atmospheric temperatures.

5. A wood shingle having a cavity therein, and a body of fire extinguishing material in said cavity, said cavity being so located that when the shingle is in its normal position on a roof said material will be protected by a substantial thickness of the shingle.

6. A wood shingle having a'cavity of substantial dimensions extending into the butt portion thereof from the butt end, and a body of fire extinguishing material located in said cavity.

7. A wood shingle having a slot in the butt end thereof, and a body of fire extinguishing material located in said slot.

8. A wood shingle having a cavity of substantial dimensions in the butt end thereof, and a body I of fire extinguishing salts united by a waterproof binder and held in said cavity.

9. A wood shingle having a cavity of substantial dimensions in the butt portion thereof, a body of fire extinguishing material located in said cavity, and a waterproof medium sealing said material in the cavity at atmospheric temperatures but adapted to release said material at higher temperatures below the kindling temperature of the shingle.

10. A wood shingle having a cavity of substantial dimensions in the butt portion thereof, a body of fire extinguishing salts located in said cavity, and a waterproof covering for protecting said salts at atmospheric temperatures but adapted to release the salts at temperatures below the kindling temperature of the shingle. V

11. A wood shingle carrying a segregated body of fire extinguishing material.

12. A wood shingle carrying a segregated body of fire extinguishing material and a protective medium for said material.

13. A wood shingle carrying a segregated body of water soluble fire extinguishing material, and a waterproofing protector for said body.

14. A wood shingle carrying a segregated body of fire extinguishing material fastened to the shingle and partly protected from the weather by the shingle, and a waterproof medium protecting said material.

15. A wood shingle having a normal upper butt surface for exposure to the weather and carrying a segregated body of fire extinguishing material and a waterproof protective medium for said material.

16. A wood shingle carrying a segregated body 130 of fire extinguishing salts in such a relationship thereto as to be protected from the weather by a substantial thickness of the shingle when the shingle is in its normal position on a roof.

17. A wood shingle having a normal upper butt 135 surface for exposure to the weather and having a segregated body of fire extinguishing salts associated therewith in such a relationship as to be protected from the weather by a substantial thickness of the shingle when the shingle is in its nor- 14 mal position on a roof.

JOSEPH R. COOLIDGE.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,966,438. July 17, i934.

JOSEPH R. COOLIDGE.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above nnmhered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 72, beginning with the words "It will" strike out all to and including the word and period "them." in line 85; page 2, line 143, after "salts." insert the words: it will also he noted that all of these emhodimeats of the invention require some material structural change in the shingle in order to produce a cavity of substantial dimensions capable of holding bodies of fire extinguishing material of considerable size so that a very substantial fire extinguishing action will he produced when the occasion arises. Such a construction therefore, is sharply distinguished from the mere coating of a shingle with a fireproofing paint or similar coating compound which more or less fills up the superficial irregularities produced in the surfaces of wooden shingles by the ordinary methods of sawing them; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 7th day of August, A. D. 1934.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

